Fansided

Johnny Manziel agrees to deal in domestic violence case

By Niccolo Hilgendorf

May 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Johnny Manziel makes his first appearance in court for his misdemeanor assault charge at the Frank Crowley Courts Building. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Johnny Manziel makes his first appearance in court for his misdemeanor assault charge at the Frank Crowley Courts Building. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Johnny Manziel has come to an agreement with the prosecutors in his domestic violence case.

The Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said on Friday that Manziel had agreed to a “Conditional Dismissal Agreement.” The terms of the deal are that he needs to stay out of trouble for a year and seek treatment and counseling. If he complies, the court will dismiss the case.

The former Cleveland Browns quarterback was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly striking his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, back in January of 2016.  The incident occurred as the two were leaving a Dallas bar. Apparently, the two got into an argument, which turned very heated, and Manziel struck Crowley several times. It was serious enough to prompt Crowley to take out a restraining order.

In a statement to USA Today Sports, the Dallas County District Attorney’s office said: “A conditional dismissal agreement is only the beginning of the process of educating an individual on how to make better choices when facing conflict.”

Plea deals and second chances are nice, but one has to wonder about the fairness of the system when it comes to professional athletes. Too many domestic violence incidents have been ocurring, especially in the NFL. Hopefully Manziel will learn from his past mistakes and become a better person.  But one has to wonder if soft a lack of punishment is enabling this sort of behavior to continue. There is no mention of any compensation to Ms. Crowley.

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The court will hold a hearing for Manziel on January 12th. They will officially approve the agreement on this date. If Manziel fails to follow the rules outlined in the agreement, the court will prosecute him for the assault charge. He would face up to a year in jail as punishment.

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